It is well known that exercise is an important part of a person's overall health. Numerous exercise equipment have been developed which allow a person to exercise. Such conventional equipment has also been used for rehabilitation and therapeutic applications. As will be described herein, such conventional equipment does not meet the demands of an ideal exercise program and is not adapted to enhance the rehabilitation or diagnosis of an injured person. Generally, there are three components to providing a person with an ideal exercise program. The first component is commonly referred to as "cardiovascular" or "endurance training." Cardiovascular exercise can be described as rhythmic and repetitive exercise done for long periods of time (at least 20 minutes) and involving large muscle groups. Examples include cycling, cross-country skiing, running, and walking. Before attempting an endurance training regimen, a baseline test must be performed to assess a person's ability to be safely trained and to allow accurate monitoring of his progress. Conventional exercise machines of this type do not have a resistance mechanism capable of delivering a stable and exact load in order to obtain reliable medical and research data.
The second component is commonly referred to as "strength training." Increasing a person's strength and consequently the person's muscle mass requires overloading the various muscles. Conventional exercise machines provide this component by requiring the person to lift heavy weights or strain against resistance.
The third component is referred to as "coordination." This is an important part of any exercise regimen and helps to prevent injuries.
Finally, an adjunct to any exercise program is compliance which may be generally defined as the incentive of a person to exercise. In that even the best designed exercise equipment will only be as successful as the motivation of the person using the equipment, compliance should be an important design element of any exercise machine. There are several factors that enhance the compliance of a person to exercise, including fun, variety, and safety.
No single conventional exercise machine is capable of providing an exercise program with all of the above features, namely, cardiovascular training, strength training, coordination, and compliance.
Furthermore, in instances where a person has suffered an injury which affects the movement of a body limb, there is a need to rehabilitate the affected muscles and joints in order to allow the person to regain normal body motion. As part of the rehabilitation process, it is important to monitor the progress of the injured person so that the exercise program may be varied to best suit the patient's particular needs. Conventional exercise equipment are not particularly adapted to serve the dual purpose of allowing a person to exercise for fitness and/or therapy.
One object of the present invention is to develop an exercise machine that is capable of providing anyone with the tools to reach their health and fitness goals.
Another object of the present invention is to develop an exercise machine that can be easily adapted to meet the ergonomic profile of any person.
Another object of the present invention is to develop an exercise machine that can be used for rehabilitation, therapeutic, and diagnostic purposes.